Name: Yellow Bird
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 20 ml Light gold rum 1-3yo; 20 ml Light white rum; 15 ml Banana liqueur; 10 ml Galliano liqueur; 45 ml Orange juice; 25 ml Pineapple juice; 5 ml Lime juice

Ingredients

2/3 fl oz

Light gold rum (1-3 year old molasses column)

2/3 fl oz

Light white rum (charcoal-filtered 1-4 years old)

1/2 fl oz

Giffard Banane du Brésil liqueur

1/3 fl oz

Galliano L'Autentico liqueur

1 1/2 fl oz

Orange juice (freshly squeezed)

5/6 fl oz

Pineapple juice

1/6 fl oz

Lime juice (freshly squeezed)

How to make

Glassware

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COLLINS GLASS.

Prepare garnish of banana carved to resemble a bird, or skewered pineapple wedge, Luxardo Maraschino Cherry and half orange slice wheel.

Method

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

Garnish with carved banana or skewered pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry and half orange slice.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Yellow Bird contains 201 calories

Alcohol content:

1.4 standard drinks
12.6% alc./vol. (25.19° proof)
18.9 grams of pure alcohol

History

Perhaps simply named due to its golden yellow colour or possibly after the 19th-century Haitian tune Choucoune, rewritten with English lyrics as Yellow Bird in the mid-1950s. The song was first recorded with his calypso-style arrangement by Norman Luboff and his choir in 1957. A 1959 recording by the Mills Brothers became a minor hit but it was Hawaiian singer Arthur Lyman's recording that rose to No.4 on the Billboard charts in July 1961. Some say that this record was regularly played at Shell Bar in The Hawaii Village so inspiring the creation of this cocktail there.

Comments & Discussion

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Loz Horner 8w

Enjoyed this. Agree it wasn’t too sweet. Banana and galliano came through but weren’t overpowering.

Justin Aniello 1y

It is good, but not a standout tiki drink. I do like the Galliano. And I don't agree with the others that it needs more acid, it wasn't too sweet.

Henry Tran 1y

I would add more lime juice or have acid adjusted pineapple or orange juice. So that it would be more balanced. A bit sweet.

Damian Cibor 2y

I have everything but Galliano, can I substitute it by dash of vanilla syrup with some anise-driven bitters like Peychauds? Never had Galliano before.

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 2y

Will be a different cocktail, not just flavour-wise but you'll be missing the 10ml x 43% alc./vol. from the Galliano.

Renee Thorpe 3y

Just reading that recipe makes me think "Tiki"! I mixed and shook up a Yellow Bird VERY much like the "variant" shown above, with this online recipe: 2 oz. white rum
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. Galliano
3/4 oz. lime juice
and it was superbly balanced! Not too sweet at all, a sort of Rum Sour! Found that recipe when googling "cocktails to go with seafood." And, yes, it makes a great accompaniment to either an elaborate or very simple seafood dinner, lunch, or canape.

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 3y

Just tried the 2oz rum, 1/2oz triple sec, 1/2oz Galliano, and 3/4oz lime recipe and was overly sour. Which leads me to wonder if your Galliano ‘L’Autentico’ or ‘Vanilla’? I also found 60ml of rum a tad boozy so settled at 1.5 rum, .5 tripe sec, .5 Galliano L'Autentico, and .5 lime juice.

Renee Thorpe 2y

Interesting, and thanks for trying my version. I live in tropical Asia and use limes from my garden. They may be a tad sweeter than cooler climes' citrus. But for sure I used authentic Galliano.

John Hinojos Premium Member 4y

Is a good tiki style cocktail, but not as sweet as many of tiki drinks. I did find it a bit sweet for my taste, and would make again, but increase the amount of lime juice to counteract some of the sweetness.